Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has told media this morning she is concerned about a growing hotel quarantine cluster after genome sequencing of the two positive cases yesterday revealed they are linked to previous cases. 

Genomic testing has now linked six cases to the UK strain that arrived in Brisbane carried by a gentleman on December 30. All cases have a connection to the Grand Chancellor Hotel.

Doctor Jeannette Young said the initial case infected his partner. The cleaner then became infected but Queensland Health has so far failed to discover how she became infected.

The hotel cleaner also infected her partner.

The Lebanese father and daughter that Queensland Health revealed had tested positive yesterday are also known to be linked to the previous four cases.

It is unknown how the virus spread to the family, however, as while they were quarantining on the same floor, they did not have neighbouring rooms.

Queensland Health is alarmed that tracers cannot find a link to the spread but Ms Palaszczuk said there is no need for the public to be concerned.

The remaining 129 people quarantining in the Grand Chancellor Hotel will be moved to different hotels and tested today.

The 250 people who have left quarantine at the Grand Chancellor Hotel since December 30 will be contacted, tested and must return to quarantine.

Anyone who has been to the Grand Chancellor Hotel since December 30 must also immediately get tested and quarantine for 14 days since leaving the hotel.

“I think we need to immediately look at the way we are handling hotel arrivals into the country,” said Ms Palaszczuk.

“We have to put in additional precautions and we are doing that immediately.”

Yesterday, 20615 tests were taken yesterday and there were no cases recorded linked to community transfer.

Ambulances arriving at the Grand Chancellor in Brisbane to transport all guests in quarantine to a new facility.

Six cases of #COVID19 have been found to be the highly contagious UK strain of the virus, and genomic testing of all the cases found the links between all six. #9News pic.twitter.com/QylFn8lbLv

— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) January 13, 2021